The Ebb and Flow of American Opinions on Global Warming
November 05, 2009
NaturalNews
by: Paul Louis, staff writer
Fewer Americans are convinced of a scientific basis for global warming, according to a recent report from Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The survey of 1500 people questioned showed only 57% are certain that there is a scientific basis for global warming, compared to 77% in 2006.
This alleged drop in global warming awareness detected by the survey has occurred despite reports with visuals of icebergs and icecap sections crumbling into arctic and Antarctic waters over the last three years. In addition, ocean temperatures were recorded at their highest last summer.
Andrew Kohut, the director of this survey for The Pew Research Center, considers the results as a product of too many other issues concerning Americans. “The priority that people give to pollution and environmental concerns and a whole host of other issues is down because of the economy and because of the focus on other things,” Kohut asserted.
However, Jon Krosnick of Stanford University takes issue with the Pew poll itself. He maintains that 80 percent of Americans believe the earth is warming, a percentage that his studies report as consistent since 1997. Krosnick considered the Pew report “implausible” adding there is nothing that could have caused it.
Only a day before the report’s release, 18 scientific groups confirmed the global warming issue to Congress as the Senate was preparing to review a proposed “Cap and Trade” policy passed by the House earlier this year.
Cap and Trade would be the driving force for reducing green house gases. Cap refers to regional restrictions on how much of those emissions will be allowed. Trade refers to the practice of buying, selling, or trading for permits to exceed individual emission caps while maintaining the region’s limit.
Other climate change possibilities include reforestation for more conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen. The plan on paper is for planting 18 million acres of trees on rural land by 2020 in three areas, the Southeast, the Great Lakes, and the Corn Belt. Land owners would be able to sell excess carbon permits to power plants in as part of the Cap and Trade policy.
Some argue that this is taking valuable farm land away, increasing food prices. Others, including Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, welcome the possibility of climate-change action helping forests. “We have our own deforestation problem right here in the U.S. of A,” he said. “Just keeping forest as forest is a significant challenge.”
